thepetbill

Guide · updated

Vet consultation fees in the UK: first, repeat, nurse and out-of-hours appointments

How much a vet consultation costs, what the CMA found, why first and repeat appointments are priced differently, and why the appointment length now sits next to the price.

What practices that already publish charge

Repeat consultation · All pets £43–£60 3 practices, latest check

Prices are copied from each practice's own website on the date shown and can change. Check with the practice before you book. How we collect prices

From 3 practices that already publish; not a UK average. In-hours, standard prices including VAT. We show a range once 3 practices list a price and a median once 5 do. See the practices

Not enough published prices yet for: First consultation.

The consultation fee is the price you pay most often and think about least. It is also the price that tells you most about a practice, because almost every other visit starts with one.

The CMA put a figure on it. Using one pet insurer's claims data, it calculated that the average price of a consultation in 2023 was £53.20 (Final report, Part A, footnote 919). That is an average across claims for that insurer, not a price list, and prices vary by practice; see the map for published prices from 23 December 2026.

From that date the large vet groups must publish up to four consultation prices on each practice's website in a standard format, one for each consultation item the practice offers, and smaller practices must follow from 23 March 2027 (Order, Art. 3 and 7). Here is what each of the four means and how to compare them.

The four consultation items

Schedule 1 of the CMA's Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026 lists them in this order. The definitions come from the CMA's indicative price list (Explanatory Note, Annex 1), which is guidance for practices rather than part of the Order.

Price list item Who you see CMA's definition Extra information the list must give
First consultation A vet A first consultation for all new conditions, or general check-ups, for the standard appointment length The standard appointment length in minutes
Repeat consultation A vet A follow-up assessment or care after a first consultation, or a prescription review None
Nurse consultation A registered veterinary nurse, or a supervised student nurse A consultation for the standard appointment length The standard appointment length in minutes
Out-of-hours consultation A vet, through the practice's out-of-hours arrangement A consultation using the practice's out-of-hours provision The provider's name and a link to its price list, if a third party is used

Why minutes now sit next to the price

Schedule 1 asks practices to show the standard appointment length in minutes for a first consultation and a nurse consultation. The CMA's Explanatory Note explains why: where the price of a service depends on its duration, "such as a consultation", the list must give the standard duration alongside the price (paragraph 64(d)).

This is the most useful single change for comparing consultations. To take a made-up example, a £50 appointment of 10 minutes and a £60 appointment of 20 minutes are different products. Working out the price per minute is crude (nobody wants a vet on a meter) but it stops a short slot looking cheap when it isn't.

Ask, too, what happens if the appointment runs over. The list price is the typical case, and every price list has to say that prices may go up in more complex or complicated cases (Art. 7(2)(l)).

First versus repeat: why they differ

A first consultation is for a new problem or a general check-up. A repeat consultation, in the CMA's definition, is for follow-up care after a first consultation, or for a prescription review.

So if your dog is limping, the first visit is the first consultation price; the re-check a week later is the repeat price. The Order does not say how the two prices should relate. A practice may price the repeat lower, because the vet already knows the case, or charge the same. The new lists make it visible either way.

The prescription review part matters to anyone whose pet takes regular medicine. Under the RCVS's guidance, prescription-only veterinary medicines must be prescribed by a vet who has first carried out a clinical assessment (RCVS supporting guidance, chapter 4, paragraph 4.7). That is why repeat prescriptions often come with a repeat consultation. Our prescriptions guide covers the fees involved.

Nurse consultations

Some routine jobs can be done by a registered veterinary nurse (RVN) rather than a vet. The CMA's definitions for nail clipping, anal gland expression and microchipping, for example, each describe an "appointment with the vet surgeon or RVN" (Annex 1). The nurse consultation item lets you see that price separately, with its standard length. If your pet needs something a nurse can do, asking for a nurse appointment can be the cheaper route. Whether a nurse appointment is suitable is the practice's call.

The booking confirmation must state the price

One rule helps every time you book. When a practice sends the first digital confirmation of a consultation booking, by email or text, it must include the price it will charge for that consultation and a link to its price list (Art. 7(3)(c)).

Later, from 23 June 2027 at large groups and 23 September 2027 at smaller ones, appointment messages must also carry a standard line: "Written prescriptions are available. See the RCVS website for further information." (Art. 3 and 14(10) and (11)).

What makes consultation prices differ

  • Appointment length. The minutes on the list are the first thing to compare.
  • Who owns the practice. The CMA found that between January 2023 and July 2024, average prices at five of the six large vet groups were together 18.3% higher than at independents for consultations, treatments and medicines (Final report summary, paragraph 25).
  • Out of hours. A practice that runs its own night service and charges more must show both prices (Art. 7(2)(h)). If it uses another provider, its list must show that provider's consultation price (Art. 7(2)(i)). See our out-of-hours guide.
  • Mobile vets. A mobile practice must tell you about any price factors that come only from visiting you, such as travel (Art. 7(2)(m)).
  • Care plans. Many plans include one or more consultations a year. The CMA found the large groups' plans included at least one consultation with a vet or a nurse (Final report, Appendix G, paragraph 1.5). If a practice claims a plan saves money on "unlimited" consultations and cannot evidence average use, the saving must be worked out on no more than two consultations a year (Art. 9(8)(c)).

Questions to ask when you book

  • How long is a standard first consultation, and what happens if it runs over?
  • Is the re-check a repeat consultation, and what does that cost?
  • Could a nurse appointment do the job?
  • Is the consultation included in the price of anything else I'm booking, such as a vaccination? (The vaccination items are all named "including consultation".)
  • Who handles out-of-hours calls, and what does their consultation cost?

Frequently asked questions

How much is a vet consultation in the UK?

The CMA calculated an average consultation price of £53.20 in 2023 from one insurer's claims data (Part A, footnote 919). Prices vary by practice; see the map for published prices from 23 December 2026, and the first consultation price page.

Is a repeat consultation cheaper than a first one?

Not necessarily. The CMA's definition treats a repeat as follow-up care after a first consultation, or a prescription review. The Order lets each practice set its own prices; the lists now show both.

Do I pay a consultation fee on top of a vaccination?

The three vaccination items are all named "(including consultation)", so the listed price should cover the examination that goes with the jab. Our guides to dog and cat vaccinations explain more.

Does the consultation price include VAT?

Yes. Every price on the standard list includes VAT (Art. 7(2)(f)).

Should my vet tell me about costs during the consultation?

The RCVS's guidance says clients should be given enough information about the fees associated with treatment, and offered a realistic initial estimate (chapter 9, paragraphs 9.8 and 9.10). From 23 June 2027 at large groups, written estimates become compulsory for treatment likely to cost £500 or more including VAT, and more than £100 of it (a fifth of the £500 threshold) is for costs still to come (Order, Art. 3 and 11).

Related reading

Sources

Prices mentioned in this guide

How to compare vet prices in the UKA practical checklist for comparing vet price lists fairly, from consultation minutes and vaccine bundles to out-of-hours cover and cremation.Out-of-hours and emergency vet costs in the UK: why nights cost more and what you can checkWhy emergency vet care outside normal hours costs more, who usually provides it, and the new CMA rules that make practices show out-of-hours prices and providers in advance.Pet care plans explained: what they cover, what they cost and how to compare themWhat a vet's monthly pet care plan includes, what the CMA found about whether plans save money, and the new rules on how practices must show plan contents and savings.How to complain about a vet bill or a price in the UKThe steps that work for a disputed vet bill or price: the practice's own complaints process, free mediation through the VCMS, what the RCVS can and cannot do, and what the CMA Order changes from 23 March 2027.What the CMA vet price rules mean for pet ownersFrom 23 December 2026 big vet groups must publish a standard price list. Here is what changes, when, and what you can do with it.Cat vaccination cost in the UK: kitten course, boosters and what the price includesWhat a cat or kitten vaccination price covers under the new CMA price lists, why a primary course costs more than a booster, and what to ask before you book.